Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s leading bowler, has yet to be selected in the 12-man shortlist for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. In the 1st Test against Bangladesh, he took 2 wickets for 96 runs but ultimately the match was lost by Pakistan in his homeland, Islamabad.

Shaheen left the squad to be with his family for the birth of his child. However, he rejoined the team on Thursday evening for the second Test.

Without mentioning the reason for leaving out the premier pacer, Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie said, “Shaheen’s missed out this game. We’ve had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. Shaheen’s been given some feedback. He’s working on some things with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He’s working well with Azhar Mahmood. We want to see Shaheen at his best because we’ve got a lot of cricket in all formats and Shaheen’s going to play a really big role in that.”

Shaheen’s form over the last year has been a cause of concern for Pakistan. Last year he had picked 14 wickets in four Tests at an average of nearly 40. While many of the home Tests in the last couple of years for Pakistan have come in unhelpful conditions, Shaheen was not able to make a mark even in Australia. His performances in ODIs and T20Is were significantly better, there was a marked difference from his showing in the preceding years.

While Gillespie didn’t mention whether the pacer was dropped from the side, he added, “Shaheen’s had an interesting last couple of weeks. He’s a new father. We’re seeing an opportunity where we’re able to allow him to go and spend some time with his family as well.”

Pakistan have included Abrar Ahmed in the 12 after having left out the spinner from the squad for the first Test to feature for Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh A. He is the only spinner named in the squad and his inclusion could go down to the pitch in Rawalpindi, which has been under covers recently due to rain. Abrar last featured in a Test match more than a year ago.